'A Model for Sustained Competitive Advantage: The Role of Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital.'

Although it has been recognized for a long time that competitive advantage in the tourism industry comes from knowledge assets – i.e. intellectual capital – and its useful application (Teece, 1998; Fáilte Ireland Operations Plans 2009), the emphasis on it is relatively new. The lack of empirical research means that little is actually known about internal organisational structures, practices, and characteristics that enable organisations to effectively manage such intellectual assets. Moreover, most research has tended to focus on the large organisation and little significant international research activity on intellectual capital deployment for competitive advantage within the SME has emerged from the extant literature. Literature suggests that a small firm can be viewed as a repository of knowledge assets hence competitive advantage increasingly is achieved by those firms that succeed in mobilising their intangible assets in the form of their human, social and structural resources.

The resource and knowledge based view of the firm is utilised in order to investigate this study’s overarching research objective:  to develop a model of knowledge management practices that links effective utilisation of intellectual capital to enhance competitiveness within the small tourism firm context.  It is perceived that this study will make a significant contribution to extant knowledge.